Jaipur, May 5 (IANS) Rajasthan Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Madan Rathore on Tuesday strongly reacted to allegations made by the opposition parties regarding the West Bengal Assembly elections and questions raised over the impartiality of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Rathore said India’s democratic system is globally recognised for its transparency and fairness, and casting doubts on it amounts to undermining democratic values.
“Elections in the country are conducted in a completely organised, fair, and constitutional manner. The BJP has always respected the public mandate, but some opposition parties, instead of accepting defeat, are questioning the mandate itself. This is unfortunate and reflects disrespect towards democracy,” he added.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rathore said the Prime Minister has called for rising above vendetta politics and focusing on development-oriented governance.
He also alleged that during the tenure of Mamata Banerjee as the Chief Minister in West Bengal, incidents of political violence and attacks on BJP workers had been reported, raising concerns over law and order and protection of citizens’ rights.
“Such incidents are a matter of serious concern for democracy,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister has nonetheless urged all political parties to avoid retaliatory politics and work together for development.
Rathore accused the Opposition of adopting a selective approach, saying that while they celebrate poll victories in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, they raise questions on institutions after electoral defeat in West Bengal.
“This shows that their (Opposition’s) trust in democratic institutions depends on convenience,” he said, emphasising that the Election Commission of India is an independent constitutional body and should not be doubted.
He urged all political parties to respect democratic traditions, accept the public mandate, and engage in constructive politics.
Responding to allegations made by the State Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra regarding the Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS), Rathore said that healthcare, water, and electricity remain core responsibilities of the current BJP-led state government.
He clarified that the Rajasthan government has no intention of discontinuing the RGHS scheme and is instead working to make it more transparent and effective.
“Complaints regarding the misuse of the scheme had surfaced in certain areas, specifically concerning the generation of unnecessarily inflated bills under the guise of outpatient services, which is a matter of concern. In such instances, the relevant services were temporarily suspended pending an investigation; however, wherever no irregularities are detected, these services will be reinstated. Should any genuine irregularity or corruption come to light, strict action will be taken against the perpetrators; nevertheless, the amenities available to the general public will not be allowed to suffer,” State BJP President Rathore said, adding, “Strict action will be taken in cases of proven corruption, but public services will not be affected.”
–IANS
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